"Huff..."
In the Extreme North, the howling wind and snow suddenly intensified. Goose-feather-sized snowflakes swirled madly in the fierce gusts, and the already frigid temperature plummeted even further in an instant. The terrifying chill seemed to freeze everything in its wake.
Around the Snow Empress, an overwhelming surge of soul power radiated outward as she pushed her domain—Imperial Cold Heaven: Snow Dance Radiance—to its absolute limit. The world within a ten-thousand-meter radius transformed into a realm of ice and snow.
"Crack..."
Beside the Snow Empress, the Ice Empress also erupted with a terrifying burst of soul power, unleashing her Eternal Frost Domain. Within the Snow Empress's domain, her power further enveloped Chen Xiaoming.
The moisture in the naturally damp air of the Extreme North rapidly crystallized under the immense pressure of the overlapping domains. Razor-sharp snowflakes, gleaming with a cold luster, filled the sky like countless tiny blades.
With both the Snow Empress and the Ice Empress acting in unison, the entire ten-thousand-meter expanse became an absolute icebound world, fully under their control.
Yet Chen Xiaoming made no move. He waited—waited for their most powerful strike.
He wanted to see just how formidable his Spatial Mirror truly was.
"Come, let me witness your strongest attack."
His voice, infused with soul power, echoed through the swirling snowstorm. Amidst the dancing snowflakes and the glimmering frost, the figures of the Snow Empress and Ice Empress had already vanished from sight.
But Chen Xiaoming knew—they were preparing, gathering their strength for a decisive strike.
Within this dual-layered domain, fueled by the Extreme North's endless chill, their soul skills would reach unprecedented levels of power.
"I hope you two are strong enough."
Murmuring softly to himself, Chen Xiaoming slowly closed his eyes. Above his head, the Flower of Space shone with a silvery glow, enveloping him in its light. Within his gently closed eyes, flecks of silver shimmered.
Under the immense external pressure, Chen Xiaoming was refining his comprehension of his bloodline's origin.
He seemed to sink into another dimension, his figure merging with the silver radiance, flickering between existence and nonexistence.
Within the storm, the Snow Empress and Ice Empress noticed the change in Chen Xiaoming's state. Their expressions tensed as they exchanged glances. A moment later, the Snow Empress gave a slight nod.
In her delicate jade-like hand, the Imperial Sword reappeared, its deep blue radiance more intense than before. A chilling breath escaped from the Ice Empress's lips, merging into the sword's glow. Instantly, a streak of pure white light fused into the deep blue blade.
"Bing'er, you..."
The Snow Empress's face changed slightly. That breath wasn't just soul power—it was the Ice Empress's Ultimate Ice Essence. That single exhale would cost her at least a century to recover.
"Xue'er, there's no choice. The enemy is too strong. If we don't do this, we won't stand a chance."
The Ice Empress's voice was slightly weak. The breath she had just released was part of her foundation. But seeing how the Imperial Sword's power had now more than doubled, she let out a sigh of satisfaction.
Then, raising her front pincer, crystals of ice formed around it as her soul power surged once more, adjusting her state to its peak.
"Xue'er, it's all up to you now."
As the Ice Empress spoke, her figure flickered and disappeared—charging straight toward Chen Xiaoming's Spatial Mirror.
A cold gleam flashed from her raised pincer. As it struck the Spatial Mirror, the air trembled slightly, and a burst of Ultimate Ice erupted from the point of contact, freezing a half-meter-wide section of the mirror.
Swish.
A green scorpion tail darted through the air, striking the frozen section of the Spatial Mirror. A faint indentation appeared on the icy surface. With the attack completed, the Ice Empress flickered away.
"Xue'er, now!"
The moment her words fell, a deep blue sword light flashed like a streak of white lightning—so fast it seemed to slice through time itself—piercing precisely at the same frozen point on the Spatial Mirror.
Hummm...
A clear, crisp sound rang out. The mirror-like surface rippled like a disturbed lake, absorbing the force of the attack. The Snow Empress stood poised, sword in hand, her energy subtly seeping into the mirror.
Crack... crack...
The originally half-meter-wide frozen section spread outward, encroaching upon the mirror's surface at an alarming rate.
Seizing the brief moment of instability, within mere seconds, the frozen area had expanded to over ten meters in diameter.
"Hmph."
A soft snort echoed. Above Chen Xiaoming's head, the Flower of Space glowed, and a silver radiance surged forth. Instantly, the ripples across the mirror smoothed out, and the freezing process slowed dramatically.
Boom!
The Snow Empress hesitated for a brief moment. Then, as if making up her mind, she summoned a subtle yet vast force.
Beneath the Extreme North's boundless plains, the deep layers of accumulated snow began to shift. A near-endless surge of frigid energy emerged.
As the Empress of the Extreme North, in this moment, she finally invoked the power of the land itself.
The eternal frost that had accumulated over countless millennia surged into her body, causing the Imperial Sword's deep blue radiance to swell explosively.
At this moment, Chen Xiaoming's Spatial Mirror was no longer merely facing the Snow Empress—it was facing the entire Extreme North itself.
For the first time, the previously indestructible mirror began to cave inward under pressure.
The intense spatial shockwaves reverberated along the mirror's surface, surging toward the Flower of Space. At the center of it all, Chen Xiaoming felt his soul power rapidly draining, being pulled into the blooming petals.
Yet, he barely noticed.
Because in the instant the Imperial Sword's power soared, something within the space around him shifted.
Every change in the Spatial Mirror resonated through him, leaving him momentarily entranced.
Within his mind, his bloodline's origin pulsed with enlightenment.
The boundless path of space unfurled before him like a spark igniting within the void.
Before his eyes, the world was no longer the Extreme North Plains but rather an endless starry expanse.
A barrier of space lay before him—so close he could almost touch it. Reaching out a single finger, he lightly tapped it.
The spatial barrier rippled, like a lake disturbed by a single stone.
Each ripple carried an immense weight, as if infused with the power of the world itself—a force capable of toppling mountains and overturning seas.
Chen Xiaoming stood mesmerized.
The profound changes in space before him were beyond comprehension. Yet, he absorbed them instinctively, following his intuition to deepen his understanding of the Dao of Space.
Back on the plains, the Snow Empress's final assault had reached its peak.
The mirror's surface had caved inward, but it still refused to shatter.
Even after invoking the Extreme North's might, she and the Ice Empress had failed to break Chen Xiaoming's defense.
Despair filled their gazes.
Crack… crack...
But just as the Snow Empress was about to order the Ice Empress to retreat—
The Spatial Mirror suddenly shattered.
The Snow Empress focused intently.
This time, she did not strike again—because she could tell this shattering was unnatural.
Floating in midair, Chen Xiaoming's eyes gleamed silver as he gazed at the fractured space before him.
An endless cascade of insights flooded his mind.
His comprehension of his bloodline's origin had ascended to an entirely new realm.
"Consider this my gift to you. If fate allows, we shall meet again."
With a satisfied smile, he turned away.
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